Please post your VOTE for up to 6 {six} of the questions provided in this thread, letting us know which ones you most want to see asked on September 12th. Keep in mind that your votes in round 56 do not count in this round, so if your question is still on the list you may want to vote for it again.

Also, feel free to post new questions. For reference, here are Hasbro's answers to previous SSG questions (http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1553); to ActionFigs.com's questions (http://www.actionfigs.com/index.php?categoryid=12&p2_articleid=1916); and from other sites (http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1298). The questions we asked last round can be found here (http://forums.sirstevesguide.com/showthread.php?p=634860#post634860).

Current questions (vote for up to 6):

- Twice during the prequels, a vehicle toy's MSRP was dropped significantly without any changes to its mold - the first being the Episode I Naboo Royal Starship which went from $100 to $50, and the second being the Republic Gunship which in the Saga line was $40 but subsequent releases were $30. What were the causes of these price drops? Why hasn't this happened with other vehicles in similar high pricepoints?
- What are the requirements that a retailer must go meet to get a Star Wars exclusive, do they have to be a certain size company, make a certain number of Hasbro orders a month, etc.? Is there some sort of process that a retailer has to go through to get an exclusive, do they work with Hasbro on what item to produce or is it out of their hands?
- Some fans have noticed that the white paint on the goggles accessory from the Droid Factory Han Solo Hoth exclusive 2pack is flaking off at an alarming rate. This obviously would be a disappointment for fans eager to get this version of Han Solo. What is the cause for this, was a new technique for painting used, was it a new paint altogether, perhaps the clear plastic for the goggles different and not taking paint, something even simpler like too much mold-release oil?
- There are a lot of different clones from ROTS being done in the CW line in the phase 1 (AOTC-style) armor such as the 501st Legion and 212th Battallion to name a few. Is there any chance that these clones will eventually get released in the realistic-syle phase 1 armor as well as animated-style?
- Since we're getting a phase I Odd Ball figure in the animated line, and a new super-articulated ROTS phase II armor Clone Pilot in the Imperial Pilots Evolutions set in Captain Jag colors, can we expect to see Odd Ball in his ROTS armor as a realistic basic figure, and if so, when? Should be easy, as it's just a helmet repaint.
- Why has Commander Faie been included as part of the upcoming ROTS wave when the character never actually appeared in the movie?
- In Hasbro's awesome Comic-Packs line, we've been treated to Marvel Star Wars issues 1-4, and Dark Horse Revenge of the Sith issues 1, 3, and 4. Any chance we could get comic packs of the missing Marvel SW #5 and 6, and Dark Horse ROTS #2, to complete their respective tales? (Just spitballing ideas: we could certainly do with a Leia/3PO pack for MSW#5 and perhaps a Rebel/Imperial Pilot set for #6, and ROTS #2 could use Grievous and a new deco Clone.) And what about Comic Packs for the other movie adaptation comics like Marvel ESB and ROTJ, or Dark Horse TPM and AOTC?
- The Comic Packs are great since the addition of the comic books give these characters much-needed context, as the average kid and collector who mainly know the movies will likely not know these characters without seeing them in some sort of action. That said, there are still several other expanded universe products that have no context other than the small bio on their packaging. Would it be possible for comic books to also be included in EU multi-figure sets or vehicles as well? For instance, fans of Crimson Empire are liking the look of the upcoming Crucible set, while those who are unfamiliar with the work think it looks more like a cross between Star Wars and Power Rangers.
- Will we be getting any Battle Droid variants in the Clone Wars line, like Commander, Security, Pilot, etc.? Would it matter if the design didn't show up right away in the cartoon? After all, we know what the markings of a Commander droid look like already. And what about a Clone Wars Battle Droid figure that can hold its rifle 2-handed?
- On Mighty Muggs, understanding that you're not likely to do new bodies for the line any time soon, will fans ever be getting Battle Droid, Super Battle Droid, and maybe even an IG-100 Magnaguard Mighty Muggs figures? You did the spindly General Grievous as a Mugg already after all. Also, what Hasbro team does the designs for the Muggs and their packaging? Does each team - for example, Star Wars, Marvel, and Transformers - design their own Muggs, or is it centralized?
- The Star Wars product poster Hasbro gave out at Comic-Con had new figures on 1 side while the other featured Titanium Series vehicles in 3 battles. We haven't heard of any upcoming Titanium multipacks, themed waves, battle-packs, or exclusives that use these concepts though. Does Hasbro have anything special planned for Star Wars Titanium Series?
- In Hasbro's GI Joe line's comic packs, they have moved beyond mere reprints to also feature entirely new stand-alone comics. Given that Dark Horse has released similar Star Wars comics to retailers in the past, have you considered working with them to commission new stand-alone Star Wars comics that feature highly-requested EU characters that otherwise don't appear in the comics and therefore have a lot less chance of being released as figures?
- With Sideshow having released a smashing diorama of the "Look Sir, Droids" scene, what are the chances of Hasbro doing a similar battle pack? It could include the escape pod (perhaps with the proper top hatch openable, or maybe the whole thing upsized) and an assortment of Sandroopers with a variety of pauldrons and accessories. Heck, if you threw in an updated dewback, you'd have quite the nifty ultimate battle pack. Any chance of that?
- Not long ago, we asked which EU figures were their personal favorites and wishlist entries, but none of the ones listed were from the Marvel series. With the upcoming Lumiya figure (and by the way, who will she be coming with in that comic 2pack? Issue #96 suggests Luke from the duel, but perhaps someone else maybe?), what other Marvel figures might be on the team members' EU wishlists?
- Last year, Hasbro released the R2-KT figure while making a charitable donation to ensure that the spirit of a figure for the Katie Johnson charity was fully met before any were sold. With R2-KT appearing in the Clone Wars movie, is there a chance we could get animated R2-KT as a repainted animated R2-D2 figure in a similar charity-type release?
- While we'd always prefer a worn paint deco on vehicles and droids, we understand sometimes the budget just can't do it. The next time you do a vehicle with a white deco where the budget prohibits additional weathering paint, could you please not use the clean-white color of plastic that you've used on the Clone Wars V-19 or the TLC Dagger Squadron B-wing? This white plastic is just too clean, it screams for weathering as it hides every sculpted line and gives an unwelcome plasticky toy look, while the slightly off-white colors of plastic seem to bring out the lines and look a little weathered better than clean.
- Will there be more droid repaints in the Clone Wars line? The molds already exist, so they shouldn't be too difficult to achieve. For instance, will there be TC-70 based on the C-3PO mold, R4-P17 based on the R2-D2 mold, or KRONOS-327 based on the IG-86 mold? TC-70 obviously would be a good companion piece to the upcoming animated Jabba you're developing, and Obi-Wan needs a droid to fit in his Jedi Starfighter's droid slot.
- In the Clone Wars line, a few scale issues have come up. Obi-Wan and Anakin figures stand pretty short compared to their non-animated figure counterparts, while Clone Troopers stand unusually tall compared to their non-animated counterparts, and obviously this means CW Obi-Wan and Anakin stand pretty short compared to the Clones. What gives here? Was this an intentional choice, and if so, why?
- Any chance Hasbro will be producing a Republic Attack Shuttle (aka a "Nu-class shuttle"), either for the figure line or Titaniums? This is the vehicle in The Clone Wars that delivered Ashoka to Anakin and Obi-Wan on Teth, and LEGO is producing one.
- Understanding that schedules are subject to change on these sorts of things, could Hasbro give us an idea of how many waves and figures are scheduled for the '09 line, and roughly how many figures are from each source?
- Might Hasbro look into extending the range of motion on the ball-hinged elbows and knees? The current range is only around 90 degrees, while in the movies the elbows are often seen very closed holding weapons close to the chest or face, so the joint often should go around 135-150 degrees to represent that. With the inclusion of ball-hinged wrists and ankles, and now even hips on a few nifty Jedi, the amount of expression that these figures can produce is bordering on truly realistic, so isn't it time that the elbows and knees go there too?
- Might you be willing to give us some of the lowdown on what will be coming up from the Greatest Hits sub-line? With the Saga Legends line (we're aware this is different from GH) reusing last year's Yoda on Kybuck, fans would like to see if Greatest Hits might find some figures from that TAC EU wave which were hard to get, such as Darth Revan, Darth Malak, Pre-Cyborg Grievous. And it's not like the main lines where everything's a secret until development's done, Greatest Hits is made up of existing figures, so could we know what to expect in the sub-line?
- With the Indy line, when Hasbro says that that Mutt Williams in jacket is very popular with the kids, how is that determined, is that based on what retailers order? Because both basic Mutt Williams figures seem to be the by far the most over-abundant figures left on the Indy pegs usually, sometimes in the dozens. While empirical and anecdotal evidence is not fully scientific, when consistent enough it does paint a very particular picture to collectors, in this case that Mutt Williams is a major pegwarmer doing his best to choke the line to death, even with his snazzy jacket. Obviously there is disparity between Hasbro's take and collectors' take on this, and if collectors are right, then Hasbro's focus on Mutt would bury the line up to its neck in quicksand, so any thoughts where that disparity comes from?
- When collectors ask for the same stuff over and over again such as certain vehicles like the Cloud Car, large accessories like Jabba's dais, playsets and dioramas of scenes that are not action- or main-character-themed which Hasbro says they aren't likely to do because those areas are not seen as profitable in today's market, are there any NEW ideas swimming around the Star Wars team with an OT collector focus? Not talking about merely new figures or resculpts of unmade vintage figures, but something new in the 3.75" format that would excite collectors, especially OT-focused ones. Stuff like the nifty new Scramble on Yavin battle pack gets collectors jazzed up.
- With the '09 Indiana Jones figures, you say that their future is the hands of how the line does over the upcoming holiday season. Assuming that the '09 line does not make it to retail, what would become of those figures, would they become exclusives perhaps through HasbroToyShop, or not produced at all? That has come up with canceled Star Wars items too, where the question is the same: if those molds were not to be run at all, how would not running the molds make a return on the investments of whatever finished but unused tooling exists? Wouldn't making part of its money back on a smaller run of product be more help defray those already-spent tooling costs better than ensuring no possible return on the toolings' costs?

Vote now, and suggest new questions too. Thanks for participating!

JediTricks

08-22-2008, 04:47 PM

Please note that due to the change in the program which we received yesterday, a number of questions have been cut this round due to editorial reasons. With Q&A now happening only once every 3 weeks, the standards by which questions are vetted for our list have become a little more stringent. Please feel free when your questions are passed up to continue making impassioned arguments for your causes as long as you truly believe in them, but also try to keep in mind that the editorial choices made here are meant to serve the collecting community as a whole. As well, please make sure your question hasn't already been answered previously and isn't merely a personal wishlist.

Kidhuman

08-22-2008, 08:49 PM

15, 17, 1 for now

Mr. JabbaJohnL

08-22-2008, 09:37 PM

5, 12, 17, 18 for now.

Battle Droid

08-22-2008, 09:53 PM

9 and 10 for now.

Umbra

08-22-2008, 10:22 PM

8 and 18 for now, thank you

Sinscia Fat'o

08-23-2008, 10:35 AM

12 and 14 for now.

Bib Un-Fortuna

08-23-2008, 10:39 AM

Voting for 5 6 9 15 17

Any a question for Hasbro (possibly) or for anyone here - its been asked before I believe, but I was looking for a more recent answer:

Since the Legacy/Build-a-Droid line came out 1 month ago, I have noticed a severe increase in the amount of figure-swapping going on, and have read several reports on various message boards about this problem, including: an Ewok from the old Complete Galaxy for a Leektar, an abused Vintage R2-D2 (with no sticker!!) in a Droid Factory set, and much Clone swapping, and all with the BaD parts missing

I love the to-the edge bubble for its looks, but the tape on the back just begs this kind of dishonest behavior. Has there been any discussion of changing back to a glued bubble - simply taking the current bubble and attaching it to the card with glue as it is, or a slightly different bubble?

Feel free to add or edit. Thanks

Cane_Adiss

08-23-2008, 11:19 AM

New question:

Recently, I've discovered a new way to store figures in my collection. The Stack-on company makes plastic storage cabinets that fit most Star Wars 3-3/4" figures perfectly. These cabinets aren't expensive and the largest size they have available has 60 drawers which can hold at least that many figures. The drawers are also designed in such a way that you can fit two smaller figures (i.e. astromechs) in a drawer nicely. They even come with "drawer dividers". So what I'm trying to ask is, would Hasbro ever consider developing a Star Wars themed action figure storage cabinet similar to these being offered by Stack-on? Perhaps you could release one everytime you start a new collection, give it that collection's theme, and maybe label the drawers for each figure in that collection. That would be sweet!

Has every single one of my questions been cut from the list? Or have any of them been voted to be sent to Hasbro? I'd like to know what "standards" any of my future questions will need to meet to even be considered. It seems lately people can't ask about what really interests them and that's frustrating. The whole voting concept seems pointless when every proposed question has to go through a screening tribunal before it can be voted on. I understand sometimes it's necessary, but if a question is well thought out and well worded (and has not been specifically answered before) I think it should be given a chance no matter what changes Hasbro makes to the feature. The votes will show what the fans really want feedback on.

cookiemonster

08-23-2008, 12:15 PM

I agree with Cane, about how the questions are asked. But I really am new here so I will give it time and see how they develop, but going through a screening seems a little strange, seeing everyother site just picks the best three or combinations to ask.

Anyhow my choice #9, 14, 15 for now.

On question number 8, I think people are'nt liking them that are actually familiair with the comics as well, they just look like a bad power rangers knock off - I can hear it in Hasbros office now "So we did the Star Wars and Transformers crossover toys, we give them Star Wars and Power Rangers, whats next Smithers" - Smithers reply "Well sir here at Hasbro HQ's we have been working on a new toy we all know how they like EU, so we are going to give them Star Wars and My Little Pony".

bigbarada

08-23-2008, 02:01 PM

Has every single one of my questions been cut from the list? Or have any of them been voted to be sent to Hasbro? I'd like to know what "standards" any of my future questions will need to meet to even be considered. It seems lately people can't ask about what really interests them and that's frustrating. The whole voting concept seems pointless when every proposed question has to go through a screening tribunal before it can be voted on. I understand sometimes it's necessary, but if a question is well thought out and well worded (and has not been specifically answered before) I think it should be given a chance no matter what changes Hasbro makes to the feature. The votes will show what the fans really want feedback on.

I think JT does a good job of screening the questions. I've actually had several of my questions sent to Hasbro and answered with some very promising responses from the Hasbro team. Of course, I've had several that were rejected for one reason or the other and I've always been satisfied with JT's explanations for why they were stricken.

I'm still trying to figure out the best wording for asking about updated Ep3 Wookies that are closer to the VOTC Chewie in detail and articulation. However, I'm thinking now that if I just let a few more months or years go by and the Ep3 Wookie figures get more and more outdated, then it will be an easier question to ask. And, JT, "Fatty McWookie" still cracks me up even today.:D

JediTricks

08-23-2008, 09:19 PM

15, 17, 1 for nowGlad to see someone voting for #1. That was my question, and I was about to cut it this round when I realized it resonates now more than ever, what with 2 large-ticket vehicles on shelves at this moment.

Any a question for Hasbro (possibly) or for anyone here - its been asked before I believe, but I was looking for a more recent answer:

Since the Legacy/Build-a-Droid line came out 1 month ago, I have noticed a severe increase in the amount of figure-swapping going on, and have read several reports on various message boards about this problem, including: an Ewok from the old Complete Galaxy for a Leektar, an abused Vintage R2-D2 (with no sticker!!) in a Droid Factory set, and much Clone swapping, and all with the BaD parts missing

I love the to-the edge bubble for its looks, but the tape on the back just begs this kind of dishonest behavior. Has there been any discussion of changing back to a glued bubble - simply taking the current bubble and attaching it to the card with glue as it is, or a slightly different bubble?

Feel free to add or edit. ThanksHere's my thinking... first off, the bubble is taped on the lower sides but welded to the top significantly and reverse-welded to the bottom. I saw that Droid Factory picture today, that was just an employee not paying attention, plain and simple. Even if you took the tape off the basic cards, they'd still be sealed product, something has to be ripped and resealed either top or bottom to access the product. I haven't seen a lot of complaining of this going on, not moreso than any previous era in the last 13 years. Sometimes there's just a few bad apples and it makes the whole bunch look rotten.

Also, Hasbro was previously asked about why tape, and they said it's the only way to get it to wrap around the edge to achieve the aesthetic they're looking for (the top half of the bubble is welded to the card, the bottom is reverse-welded inside the card, but once you close that, there's no way to reverse-weld the sides because the machine that does it needs to evacuate when done).

So I'm leaning towards not adding it, but am leaving it open to further discussion.

New question:

Recently, I've discovered a new way to store figures in my collection. The Stack-on company makes plastic storage cabinets that fit most Star Wars 3-3/4" figures perfectly. These cabinets aren't expensive and the largest size they have available has 60 drawers which can hold at least that many figures. The drawers are also designed in such a way that you can fit two smaller figures (i.e. astromechs) in a drawer nicely. They even come with "drawer dividers". So what I'm trying to ask is, would Hasbro ever consider developing a Star Wars themed action figure storage cabinet similar to these being offered by Stack-on? Perhaps you could release one everytime you start a new collection, give it that collection's theme, and maybe label the drawers for each figure in that collection. That would be sweet!I've seen collectors using those things, they're the clear drawers that hold nails and screws and such, right? I've always wondered why collectors would use them, they're pretty much the anti-collection since they display nothing that way. And they're like $20-$25, right? That doesn't seem like a mind-blowing deal really, I mean, if you want to store your figures away there's baggies and other methods which are cheaper, fit the figure better, and less uniform to better fit each individual collector's needs, right? I'm not saying your idea isn't interesting, but it just doesn't seem like a mainstream item, especially when Hasbro's already said they don't see a market for carrying cases these days, and what you describe is essentially not even a carrying case but a crypt. I don't mean that in a rude way, just that I don't see a mass-appeal for it.

Has every single one of my questions been cut from the list? Or have any of them been voted to be sent to Hasbro?I honestly don't know who authors what questions after I put them on the list unless the author is me, and even then sometimes I'm blindsided. I cut questions based on their likelihood of a positive and informative response (or it genuinely affecting the line in a positive manner) being low coupled with the amount of support the question received in the past - you can call that "standards" if you like. I can assure you that not all of the cut questions were yours though, it was anything but personal. I listed all 6 questions that I sent to Hasbro in the previous thread's last post which I linked from the opening post in this thread (my standard procedure), so you can check to see what got sent in.

I'd like to know what "standards" any of my future questions will need to meet to even be considered. There are no set standards to being considered beyond what I mentioned above (and keep in mind, those were questions that had previously been on the list and were eventually removed), even questions that have been asked before can be asked again if the conditions are right. It's up to my discretion based on my task of acting effectively as editor in the best interests of the collecting community as a group to organize the Q&A. I've asked some questions I thought were patently ridiculous in the past merely because of the support they had in the forums despite knowing they'd crash and burn. I suppose you can glean some level of "standards" from the rest of my replies in this post.

It seems lately people can't ask about what really interests them and that's frustrating. Ultimately these aren't individuals' conversations with Hasbro, we're trying to represent the collector community as a whole, our readers as a group in particular. Believe me, I want to get every question answered, I've had to throw away my own ideas in the past because of lack of support, it's no fun, but the reality is that this is an extremely limited resource and it would be selfish of us to squander it on any 1 particular whim.

Look at Gothiczartan's "questions", he bombards me with "will you make this, will you make that, will you make this other guy, each one super-articulated" as separate questions, I could make a 3-page list of those alone and then your question gets added under that list, but it's my job to make sure that only the viable ones get up there so there's more chance of adding everybody's questions. So do I frustrate Gothiczartan a little by not adding his every whim to our list, or frustrate the other 99% who don't get their questions seen?

The whole voting concept seems pointless when every proposed question has to go through a screening tribunal before it can be voted on. I understand sometimes it's necessary.... The votes will show what the fans really want feedback on.I wish it would work if I put every question - no matter how crackpot or genius - up there, but the reality is that when the thread gets over 35 questions or so, people stop participating and the system grinds to a halt. It's like when California had the open election to recall Governor Davis. Over 500 participants threw their name onto the ballot and a system had to be worked out to vet their appropriateness to decide which of them actually were viable enough to go on the final ballot of 100+ candidates, those 100+ people had to go through a vetting process of collecting signatures and affording the ballot entry fee, and another vetting process was created to decide which were the "top" candidates that would be a part of the public debates.

As for voting, I've tried to make this as democratic as possible since day 1, but ultimately it is up to me as editor to make the decisions on what goes in, so the voting is technically an advisory position on the readers' parts and I make the final cuts. I'd say about 95% of the time I go with what the votes say, but sometimes I do make editorial decisions against that to make a more rounded series of questions or to ask a question that has only been on the list a short while but is time-sensitive.

but if a question is well thought out and well worded (and has not been specifically answered before) I think it should be given a chance no matter what changes Hasbro makes to the feature.I don't understand this at all, this is an extremely limited resource we have, if the probability is very high of a question falling flat on its face, why should we bother? Hasbro doesn't need this Q&A to judge what the majority of fans are thinking, they have people reading forums and gaging such things on their own. If there is enough buzz about something, such as playsets or Yarna for example, I will include it knowing that it's giving voice to something a lot of people are talking about, but the majority of questions presented here lately are ultra-niche stuff that only a select number of collectors are talking about. An excellent example of this is Chux's "Noa Briqualon" question from the last round, it's a well-asked question and even has a charitable side to it, but ultimately it's extremely esoteric and I've seen nobody talking about it; meanwhile, when we first started asking Yarna questions 2 years ago, we had over 40 people talking about it in one of several threads, it was a topic that came up often, so it got asked several times.

I agree with Cane, about how the questions are asked. But I really am new here so I will give it time and see how they develop, but going through a screening seems a little strange, seeing everyother site just picks the best three or combinations to ask.You mean their editors pick the "best 3", not their readers. What other site does it as democratically and openly as this system? I don't know of one. I don't want to just let you guys email me questions and in the quiet of my computer room I throw away the ones that don't fit my viewpoint and cherry pick the ones that work best for my tastes, both Steve and I want this to be as much about what the readers want as possible, but as you can hopefully see in my explanation above, there are some compromises that have to be made to keep this working.

Would you prefer I not tell you when I don't pick your questions, you could just email them to me and then wait and wait to see if I used them or not, never knowing that I disregarded them long ago? I wouldn't think that very fair, it'd make my life easier, sure, but the questions wouldn't be better and we'd never work together to develop stronger, more bulletproof questions - that's something I think works pretty well here, we have some ideas that are not fully fleshed out, I try to give you guys enough feedback when I cut a question that you can use to think up a stronger argument, back-n-forth stuff.

On question number 8, I think people are'nt liking them that are actually familiair with the comics as well, they just look like a bad power rangers knock off - I can hear it in Hasbros office now "So we did the Star Wars and Transformers crossover toys, we give them Star Wars and Power Rangers, whats next Smithers" - Smithers reply "Well sir here at Hasbro HQ's we have been working on a new toy we all know how they like EU, so we are going to give them Star Wars and My Little Pony".I'm not actually trying to single out the Crucible set, that was the original example given by the author and it seemed to fit. It's a controversial set, Hasbro at Comic-Con said to us that they were a little surprised at the negative reaction it garnered, on looking at the source material, I see the sculpts didn't quite nail the shoulder armor or helmet, crucial areas, but they're not that far off, the cover of Crimson Empire #2 (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Crimson2.jpg) has that exact outfit in yellow and purple AND Vader, and the story has the Emperor to boot. So the complaint should be taken to Dave Dorman and the Dark Horse artists who worked on the issue as they came up with the look.

I'm still trying to figure out the best wording for asking about updated Ep3 Wookies that are closer to the VOTC Chewie in detail and articulation. However, I'm thinking now that if I just let a few more months or years go by and the Ep3 Wookie figures get more and more outdated, then it will be an easier question to ask. And, JT, "Fatty McWookie" still cracks me up even today.:DHeh heh. That figure sucks, he's like a bloated Bigfoot in bad armor. I actually wanted to add that question still, but we never really got past the ultimate problem of the 2 we have being close to your example on paper. (My little reminder of that conversation (http://forums.sirstevesguide.com/showthread.php?p=613935#post613935).)

Anyway, ultimately life's not perfect and we can't always get what we want, sometimes in the juggling act we have to accept that not every apple is going to stay in the air in order to keep the rest up there. But I really do appreciate you guys participating and challenging me, by doing so you make it possible for me to learn more about how the Hasbro system works and use that knowledge to help make the best possible arguments with which to challenge Hasbro, to make them really think, which leads to change. If I didn't appreciate all of that, I wouldn't bother responding here, I wouldn't bother explaining my decisions for changing or cutting a potential question... that's generally Steve's advice, "don't bother explaining yourself, someone will just use it against you," and he's not wrong. I blow 1 to 3 hours every time I visit these poll threads (like the 1:40 I just put in on everything up to this post), not to mention hours going through all the other sites' answers to catalog their answers to ensure we don't waste a slot, only to hear that what I've set up isn't good enough, but ultimately helping you guys out with what DOES get asked is why I do it, I do find some reward in being the editor on the site Hasbro considers to have the toughest, the most challenging questions, and knowing we got there through a group effort.

BaneMalar

08-23-2008, 09:28 PM

#13 - This would bring my "Trooper Davin Felth" thread I started to life in a Hasbro line. Since his only line is "Look Sir, Droids." I would LOVE to see this done. It would suffice very nicely.

sebillba

08-24-2008, 01:54 AM

3, 5 and 6 for now.

Cane_Adiss

08-24-2008, 10:04 AM

I've seen collectors using those things, they're the clear drawers that hold nails and screws and such, right? I've always wondered why collectors would use them, they're pretty much the anti-collection since they display nothing that way. And they're like $20-$25, right? That doesn't seem like a mind-blowing deal really

For someone who has literally hundreds of action figures, and no room to display them all (or the patience) they are quite useful. I know I'm not the only collector who lacks the luxury of expendable display space. I think aesthetically they could be better looking (if less kid friendly) than the molded character ones they had available, and they'd hold way more figures. If they made something similar, with a Star Wars makeover I think people would bite. And $25 isn't a "killer deal" for a 60 drawer case, but it's certainly reasonable. So in my mind, compared to the $150 Falcon I just bought (which contains two figures I didn't need and now must store) it's pretty inexpensive.

BTW JT I meant no disrespect in my post earlier. I still think this is the best forum out there, why else would I still be here? And the voting method is definitely the most fair way of submitting questions. I think over-all you do a great job. I think I've said as much several times before.

cookiemonster

08-24-2008, 01:53 PM

JT please dont think I was being dis-respectful as I wasnt, I am just not used to how you guys do it, to me I could see some bias in this way, if people are peed at you or something, then they can vote around the question even if it was a good one.

I think you do a good job from what I have seen, and I can appreciate it is a hard one, trying to keep all those apples in the air as you put it.

Anyhow I will hopefully get used to this system and if nothing else at least it gives me something to read and see from another point of view.

Ando

08-25-2008, 03:34 PM

I vote for questions 1 and 2 and I would like to submit my own 2 questions:

"Does Hasbro have plans to produce the "Republic Attack Shuttle" featured delivering Ashoka to Anakin and Obi Wan on Teth in the 'The Clone Wars movie' in 3 3/4" scale?"

*and*

"Beyond the 'Lucky Lekku' Wal-Mart exclusive gunship variant, will Hasbro be producing other variants of the Republic Gunship for exclusive or general release in the near future to coincide with the run of 'The Clone Wars' cartoon?"

cookiemonster

08-25-2008, 10:37 PM

1) Would it be possible for you to do a run down on the various waves we will likely see, is it ANH, ESB, ROTJ, EP1, AOTC, EU, ANH, ESB (just off the top of my head - "dream come true this would be" as yoda would say, lol), and also is it possible to tell us how many figures will be in each wave.

JediTricks

08-26-2008, 10:40 PM

Question 19 added.

For someone who has literally hundreds of action figures, and no room to display them all (or the patience) they are quite useful. I know I'm not the only collector who lacks the luxury of expendable display space. I think aesthetically they could be better looking (if less kid friendly) than the molded character ones they had available, and they'd hold way more figures. If they made something similar, with a Star Wars makeover I think people would bite. And $25 isn't a "killer deal" for a 60 drawer case, but it's certainly reasonable. So in my mind, compared to the $150 Falcon I just bought (which contains two figures I didn't need and now must store) it's pretty inexpensive.Compared to baggies and an $8 tub though... Anyway, it's an interesting idea, and 25 years ago probably would have been gangbusters, but today with the death of carrying cases, it seems really unlikely. Also, you're 100% into new product development, which a while back they shied us away from in Q&A - I push that one as much as I can, but only within certain parameters.

BTW JT I meant no disrespect in my post earlier. I still think this is the best forum out there, why else would I still be here? And the voting method is definitely the most fair way of submitting questions. I think over-all you do a great job. I think I've said as much several times before.I really appreciate that.

JT please dont think I was being dis-respectful as I wasnt, I am just not used to how you guys do it, to me I could see some bias in this way, if people are peed at you or something, then they can vote around the question even if it was a good one.That is one of the reasons I prefer to leave the authors' names out of it. Ultimately, if we think of a question as a good one and vote for it, then it's the power of the group asking the question rather than the individual, it makes it apolitical in that respect. I generally take out the personalization whenever Hasbro sends along a question answering something with my name in it (that "JT, the Falcon answer will have to wait" one is I believe the only exception; they generally do it about once every 15 questions or so) because to me it's about all of us and I'm just the editor, the conduit.

I think you do a good job from what I have seen, and I can appreciate it is a hard one, trying to keep all those apples in the air as you put it.

Anyhow I will hopefully get used to this system and if nothing else at least it gives me something to read and see from another point of view.Thanks. Keep suggesting any questions you have, I can take it. I don't put up everything but I do try to put up as much as I can, and like I said before, the discussions around those things can challenge enough to make for a stronger question.

"Does Hasbro have plans to produce the "Republic Attack Shuttle" featured delivering Ashoka to Anakin and Obi Wan on Teth in the 'The Clone Wars movie' in 3 3/4" scale?"Man, I wish we had waited on that question about the Tank Droid and TX-130, this would have gone perfectly as LEGO is making it too. I'll add it and count your vote.

"Beyond the 'Lucky Lekku' Wal-Mart exclusive gunship variant, will Hasbro be producing other variants of the Republic Gunship for exclusive or general release in the near future to coincide with the run of 'The Clone Wars' cartoon?"I'm passing on this one, there hasn't been a time when a $30 vehicle repaint has been in near-competition with another repaint lately, and there doesn't seem to be a huge demand for this.

1) Would it be possible for you to do a run down on the various waves we will likely see, is it ANH, ESB, ROTJ, EP1, AOTC, EU, ANH, ESB (just off the top of my head - "dream come true this would be" as yoda would say, lol), and also is it possible to tell us how many figures will be in each wave.We've actually tried that before and got mixed results, Dec 15th, '06:

Q: Can Hasbro give us an idea of how many waves and figures there will be in '07? And roughly how many from each movie or EU source? A: I cannot give you as many specifics as you want, simply because we do not want to reveal some surprises we are holding in store. But we will answer your question since we have seen some concern from fans who are afraid that we are abandoning the OTC. That is very far from the case now and in the future! It's been simply a case where a lot of discussion (and excitement) has been expressed about exploring EU in the Q&A so naturally fans have been seeing this. Here's a chance to assuage some concerns. There are nine waves of the 30th Basic Figure line (which I think you are asking about), not including Saga Legends or comic packs which are separate SKUs. There are 60 figures in the 30th figure line, of which 8 are McQuarrie figures. The remaining figures break down as follows: 50% are original trilogy, 25% are prequel, and 25% are from other sources, including some Clones Wars. I cannot give more specifics on this breakdown, in order to save some surprises.
But I think we can try it again. I'll add it as "Understanding that schedules are subject to change on these sorts of things, could Hasbro give us an idea of how many waves and figures are scheduled for the '09 line, and roughly how many figures are from each source?" LMK if you feel it needs changes. For now, I've counted your vote for that.

Ando

08-27-2008, 09:50 AM

Thank you for adding my question about the Republic Attack Shuttle.

I understand about the gunship question. Is it going to **** you off if I submit it each week? I know the gunship isn't a priority for everyone, but I am hoping one of these sessions you'll see fit to submit it at least for voting...

Blue2th

08-27-2008, 11:11 AM

4, 5, 16, 19, for now.

Question:
With the success of Legacy Wave 2 based on the Clone Wars cartoon (some feel you really hit it out of the ballpark with this wave) is there any chance we might be seeing more of the figures in Legacy style based on the Clone Wars cartoon like a Nelvaan Warrior, General Oro Dassyne, K'Kruhk, Tarr Seirr, Barrek Daakman, Gi Sha'a, Rattatak, L8-L9, an updated Barris Offee, Arc Pilot, Coruscant Clone Pilot, or Coruscant Fordo?

cookiemonster

08-27-2008, 02:05 PM

JT the way you asked Q#20 is fine, hopefully we may get some idea of the break down and what is to be expected number wise in the waves (and it would help us figure out the BAD's), also it would help the rumor mill as well, seeing theres to many rumors floating around, if we know how many slots in each wave then we will know more or less how many figures can realistically fit in them - still doesnt tell us who, but I dont think there going to do that, we may get the odd slip, but they arent going to tell us full out.

cookiemonster

08-27-2008, 02:09 PM

4, 5, 16, 19, for now.

Question:
With the success of Legacy Wave 2 based on the Clone Wars cartoon (some feel you really hit it out of the ballpark with this wave) is there any chance we might be seeing more of the figures in Legacy style based on the Clone Wars cartoon like a Nelvaan Warrior, General Oro Dassyne, K'Kruhk, Tarr Seirr, Barrek Daakman, Gi Sha'a, Rattatak, L8-L9, an updated Barris Offee, Arc Pilot, Coruscant Clone Pilot, or Coruscant Fordo?

__________________________________________________ _______________
I would like to add something to that question if not Legacy Style, would it be possible to get them in the New Clone Wars Style (Anime Realistic Style) - so they can keep their original styling more or less.

Droid

08-27-2008, 02:15 PM

I'll vote for #20, how many waves in '09 and from which sources.

Mr. JabbaJohnL

08-28-2008, 01:37 PM

I'll use my remaining votes for 19 and 20.

Cane_Adiss

08-29-2008, 09:36 AM

13, 14, 20 for now.

If the question about a second realistic style Clone Wars wave is added, put me down for that too! I'd also like to see figures of Grunda Dolma and Jasper McKnives from the cartoon. If you could add them to the question as well that would be great!

Blue2th

08-29-2008, 10:51 AM

13, 14, 20 for now.

If the question about a second realistic style Clone Wars wave is added, put me down for that too! I'd also like to see figures of Grunda Dolma and Jasper McKnives from the cartoon. If you could add them to the question as well that would be great!

Yeah, I was going to say, any characters JT wants to add, or edit, omit, correct the question, spelling would be cool. Even if it's a general question like: Will we be seeing any more characters from the Clone Wars original cartoon series in the Legacy line?

Sorry cookiemonster, if it gets asked in a animated style, I'm totally against that, but hey whatever, it's up to JT if the question even gets added. I could be wrong but I think that Kidhuman's question last year concerning the cartoon characters had a lot to do with getting them made in wave 2.

cookiemonster

08-29-2008, 11:35 AM

Thats cool Blue, I can understand people not liking these new Clone Wars animated figures, but me personally would like these to be kept in the New Style, so I hope he asks both questions about this one.

JediTricks

08-30-2008, 03:28 PM

Thank you for adding my question about the Republic Attack Shuttle.Sure thing on the Attack Shuttle.

I understand about the gunship question. Is it going to **** you off if I submit it each week? I know the gunship isn't a priority for everyone, but I am hoping one of these sessions you'll see fit to submit it at least for voting...Every week? Perhaps. Every round? No prob, go for it. For this thread right now, try explaining it to me differently, make an argument for it, convince me without just repeating the question - that can sometimes help craft a stronger question and even change Hasbro's mind. BTW, when we last asked them about it, this was the only Gunship they had coming out.

Question:
With the success of Legacy Wave 2 based on the Clone Wars cartoon (some feel you really hit it out of the ballpark with this wave) is there any chance we might be seeing more of the figures in Legacy style based on the Clone Wars cartoon like a Nelvaan Warrior, General Oro Dassyne, K'Kruhk, Tarr Seirr, Barrek Daakman, Gi Sha'a, Rattatak, L8-L9, an updated Barris Offee, Arc Pilot, Coruscant Clone Pilot, or Coruscant Fordo?Here's what they told us on Oct 26th, '07:
ActionFigs.com: With the new Clone Wars line coming up, will you be going back to the original series to make figures for characters who didn't get them, whether or not they appear in this new CGI series? Figures like Holographic Sidious on walking mechano-chair, Scuba Troopers, Space Clone Troopers, Plo Koon in armor, IG Lancer Droid (perhaps with its swoop bike), General Oro Dassyne all would make good candidates from the first series.
Hasbro: When the new series comes out, our attention and focus will shift to that one exclusively and we will not likely be doing any more figures from the first Clone Wars series. It doesn't mean we won't look for opportunities from some of the very cool figures you mention, but it becomes much less likely.
Obviously, that didn't count the TAC Clone Wars 1 wave they pushed back to TLC (we didn't know at that time what was in the wave, looks like we nailed a couple of them though) but the sentiment has been echoed in other sites' Q&A answers. Also, I'd say it's too soon to say the wave is a hit, here it's pegwarming.

JT the way you asked Q#20 is fine, hopefully we may get some idea of the break down and what is to be expected number wise in the waves (and it would help us figure out the BAD's), also it would help the rumor mill as well, seeing theres to many rumors floating around, if we know how many slots in each wave then we will know more or less how many figures can realistically fit in them - still doesnt tell us who, but I dont think there going to do that, we may get the odd slip, but they arent going to tell us full out.Right on. I'd love for them to tell us EVERYTHING, but this would suffice right about now.

__________________________________________________ _______________
I would like to add something to that question if not Legacy Style, would it be possible to get them in the New Clone Wars Style (Anime Realistic Style) - so they can keep their original styling more or less.Hmm, that's interesting. They are wildly different styles in many ways, but ancillary entries in the new line aren't the worst thing ever, we have tons of it in the regular line. I wouldn't want to ask this until the line found its legs, but we could ask it hypothetically I suppose, "if the line enjoyed great success" or some such modifier. Would folks go for that?

If the question about a second realistic style Clone Wars wave is added, put me down for that too! I'd also like to see figures of Grunda Dolma and Jasper McKnives from the cartoon. If you could add them to the question as well that would be great!You guys need to collaborate and get this question back on the drawing board, characters and acceptable styles, specifically.

Yeah, I was going to say, any characters JT wants to add, or edit, omit, correct the question, spelling would be cool. Even if it's a general question like: Will we be seeing any more characters from the Clone Wars original cartoon series in the Legacy line?

Sorry cookiemonster, if it gets asked in a animated style, I'm totally against that, but hey whatever, it's up to JT if the question even gets added. I could be wrong but I think that Kidhuman's question last year concerning the cartoon characters had a lot to do with getting them made in wave 2.Obviously we're not on the same board. BTW, KH's question last year couldn't have been it, because the TLC Clone Wars wave was scheduled for the TAC line and pushed back, so they had to be planned over a year in advance. Of course, that wave was supposed to lead collectors from Clone Wars 1 into CGI Clone Wars.

Battle Droid

08-31-2008, 09:32 AM

Two new questions,

Will General Whorm Loathsom's assistant droid be coming with him as an accessory?

Will we be getting a figure of the Retail Droids that were protecting the Shield Generator on Christophsis in the Clone Wars line?

Blue2th

08-31-2008, 11:37 AM

Here's what they told us on Oct 26th, '07:
ActionFigs.com: With the new Clone Wars line coming up, will you be going back to the original series to make figures for characters who didn't get them, whether or not they appear in this new CGI series? Figures like Holographic Sidious on walking mechano-chair, Scuba Troopers, Space Clone Troopers, Plo Koon in armor, IG Lancer Droid (perhaps with its swoop bike), General Oro Dassyne all would make good candidates from the first series.
Hasbro: When the new series comes out, our attention and focus will shift to that one exclusively and we will not likely be doing any more figures from the first Clone Wars series. It doesn't mean we won't look for opportunities from some of the very cool figures you mention, but it becomes much less likely.
Obviously, that didn't count the TAC Clone Wars 1 wave they pushed back to TLC (we didn't know at that time what was in the wave, looks like we nailed a couple of them though) but the sentiment has been echoed in other sites' Q&A answers. Also, I'd say it's too soon to say the wave is a hit, here it's pegwarming.

Yeah you did nail few of those :thumbsup:
So much for their answer though. Why did they postpone this wave till TLC?
Shifting focus? Maybe they thought the animated line wouldn't do that well, and they were hedging their bets.

Everything is pegwarming, especially the animated line and around here I see less of wave 2 than anything else.

Well if they run out of characters to do in realistic style, there are plenty from the original Clone Wars, and I would rather see them made than more obscure EU characters in the TLC line.

cookiemonster

09-01-2008, 03:00 PM

I am seeing loads of Wave 2 around here just havent got the money to pick it up.

Ando

09-02-2008, 09:55 AM

Sure thing on the Attack Shuttle.

Every week? Perhaps. Every round? No prob, go for it. For this thread right now, try explaining it to me differently, make an argument for it, convince me without just repeating the question - that can sometimes help craft a stronger question and even change Hasbro's mind. BTW, when we last asked them about it, this was the only Gunship they had coming out.

I meant every round.

I will work on the question for next time.

Thank you for the input.

JediTricks

09-02-2008, 10:33 PM

Why did they postpone this wave till TLC?
Shifting focus? Maybe they thought the animated line wouldn't do that well, and they were hedging their bets.It was a production delay, I believe. My bet actually is that Lucasfilm sent something back to the drawing board, they do this occasionally, and when it's something that has no direct visual source, it can be tough to get exactly what LFL will approve.

Everything is pegwarming, especially the animated line and around here I see less of wave 2 than anything else.

Well if they run out of characters to do in realistic style, there are plenty from the original Clone Wars, and I would rather see them made than more obscure EU characters in the TLC line.Well, let's see how it goes first, but keep the question in mind.

Two new questions,

Will General Whorm Loathsom's assistant droid be coming with him as an accessory?

Will we be getting a figure of the Retail Droids that were protecting the Shield Generator on Christophsis in the Clone Wars line?Both are too specific right now, if you can theme them to other figures (beyond just "will you make all these guys from the movie?", there's no strong thread in that) I'll reconsider. Also, on Whorm's droid, does it have a designation? The character looks too big to get a second one as a pack-in.

Umbra

09-03-2008, 02:59 AM

Not sure if this will work, but figured it was worth a shot (honestly at this point in the evening ("morning") i cannot even recall if they mentioned the Legends line continuing but:

I was wondering, if perchance you might be able to give us some hints on what we are likely going to see in the continued Legends line in the future, particularly with the inclusion of the current wave's Yoda on Kybuck if we might see more packaged EU figures such as Darth's Revan and Malak (since WotC is on a Knights of the Old Republic product boost as well) and/or Pre Cyborg Greivous?

Thanks,

~Umbra

obi-dad

09-03-2008, 12:07 PM

For now, 13 & 20.

New question:

Given that questions concerning collectors' desires for playsets, certain new vehicles, accessories, and dioramas are usually met with the answer that they are not currently seen as profitable, are there any new ideas that are in the parking lot with an OT collector focus? I'm not talking about new figures or resculpts of the few remaining unmade vintage figures, but something new in the 4" figure scale that would excite collectors (especially OT-focused). BTW, we are VERY excited about the Yavin accessory pack, as you may have gathered by now from the various forums.

Kidhuman

09-04-2008, 03:32 PM

New Question:

With all the collectors begging for a Cloud Car release and the ESB 30th Anniversary coming up, have you guys thought about making an Ultimate Battle Pack Bespin Style. It could come with a Cloud Car, Landing platform, Stormtroopers, Lando, Chewie with 3po, R2 and Leia. How about it Hasbro?

JediTricks

09-04-2008, 03:34 PM

Questions 21 - 22 added.

Question 21 is mine, came to me yesterday.

Because of this week's answers delay, like a spaz, I requested an extension on our send-in date for the next round of questions, it was spaztastic because I got the questions cycle off by 1 week, they're not due for another 7 days. :p

Not sure if this will work, but figured it was worth a shot (honestly at this point in the evening ("morning") i cannot even recall if they mentioned the Legends line continuing but:

I was wondering, if perchance you might be able to give us some hints on what we are likely going to see in the continued Legends line in the future, particularly with the inclusion of the current wave's Yoda on Kybuck if we might see more packaged EU figures such as Darth's Revan and Malak (since WotC is on a Knights of the Old Republic product boost as well) and/or Pre Cyborg Greivous?

Thanks,

~UmbraLegends is continuing, but the format is now only about main characters and "kid-targeted" stuff, stuff kids would recognize and be into (which I actually think is a very smart move). The Greatest Hits sub-line of the TLC (aka "Droid Factory") line will have the more non-main-guys stuff, but it's a much smaller subline. I'll rework the question to fit that.

Question added, vote counted.

New question:

Given that questions concerning collectors' desires for playsets, certain new vehicles, accessories, and dioramas are usually met with the answer that they are not currently seen as profitable, are there any new ideas that are in the parking lot with an OT collector focus? I'm not talking about new figures or resculpts of the few remaining unmade vintage figures, but something new in the 4" figure scale that would excite collectors (especially OT-focused). BTW, we are VERY excited about the Yavin accessory pack, as you may have gathered by now from the various forums.I'm not saying no to this, but I can't add it yet as I don't fully understand the question. I actually think I get it after a few passes, "here are collector-focused things you won't do, but will you do anything new?" (keep in mind, this year, they did a new Falcon which seems like a new format to me, and 2 new environments in the Ultimate Battle Pack styling, so there are new ideas already) but I'd like examples on the accessories part and the dioramas part where Hasbro's killed the notion due to lack of market interest. I'd like to work in the Yavin pack you mentioned, but I'm not sure what set you mean, the upcoming Battle Pack or the canceled accessory set. I guess we should clarify what you mean by "accessories" and "dioramas" they won't do, I put what I thought you meant into my question below, but am not totally sure.

Here's the question I wrote up, I don't think it's quite "there" yet because I do want to mention the Yavin thing, and get better examples in, but I otherwise would have put it up:
When collectors ask for the same stuff over and over again like playsets, certain vehicles like the Cloud Car, and large accessories like Jabba's dais, and dioramas of scenes that are not action- or main-character-themed which Hasbro says they aren't likely to do because those areas are not seen as profitable in today's market, are there any NEW ideas swimming around the Star Wars team with an OT collector focus? Not talking about merely new figures or resculpts of unmade vintage figures, but something new in the 3.75" format that would excite collectors, especially OT-focused ones...

Kidhuman

09-04-2008, 03:36 PM

JT, I popped a question above your response, please dont miss it

JediTricks

09-04-2008, 04:16 PM

Question 23 added.

This was also mine, based on an answer they gave WellOftheSouls.com (http://www.wellofthesouls.com/questionsqa.php) last round.

Good call KH, I totally did miss your question.

New Question:

With all the collectors begging for a Cloud Car release and the ESB 30th Anniversary coming up, have you guys thought about making an Ultimate Battle Pack Bespin Style. It could come with a Cloud Car, Landing platform, Stormtroopers, Lando, Chewie with 3po, R2 and Leia. How about it Hasbro?Also known as the "destined to not meet its budget and then fail if it did get released" pack? :p UBP is not a place for new vehicles, only more basic simple stuff like logs or a vacuformed room with no benches. What you're talking about would be a double-priced UBP, 2 new large segments and at least 7 figures, it's totally unrealistic, nothing they've done comes remotely close to matching what you suggest, even if the new pieces did work with the format - which they don't. I hate to see you guys get all fired up over something that's not realistic.

sebillba

09-04-2008, 04:28 PM

Add #23 to my votes please.

cookiemonster

09-04-2008, 06:42 PM

I want to vote #22 as well as the ones I have already voted for.

Kidhuman

09-04-2008, 07:07 PM

Good call KH, I totally did miss your question.

Also known as the "destined to not meet its budget and then fail if it did get released" pack? :p UBP is not a place for new vehicles, only more basic simple stuff like logs or a vacuformed room with no benches. What you're talking about would be a double-priced UBP, 2 new large segments and at least 7 figures, it's totally unrealistic, nothing they've done comes remotely close to matching what you suggest, even if the new pieces did work with the format - which they don't. I hate to see you guys get all fired up over something that's not realistic.

They can use the same mold as before, the EU cloud car mold, shouldnt be much different. It might be a place to get it as an exclusive and coupling it with older figures will help the alleviate the cot to Hasbro. Lets just plant the seed to them and see where it goes. They didnt hate the suggestion we made for the Dagobah playset UPB, they actually liked it.

Umbra

09-05-2008, 12:00 AM

Thanks JediTricks, the reworked question suits me just fine, thank you for the clarification and posting the question. ^^

jediguy

09-05-2008, 09:58 AM

6
7
8
17
19
23

thanks

obi-dad

09-05-2008, 02:10 PM

Here's the question I wrote up, I don't think it's quite "there" yet because I do want to mention the Yavin thing, and get better examples in, but I otherwise would have put it up:
When collectors ask for the same stuff over and over again like playsets, certain vehicles like the Cloud Car, and large accessories like Jabba's dais, and dioramas of scenes that are not action- or main-character-themed which Hasbro says they aren't likely to do because those areas are not seen as profitable in today's market, are there any NEW ideas swimming around the Star Wars team with an OT collector focus? Not talking about merely new figures or resculpts of unmade vintage figures, but something new in the 3.75" format that would excite collectors, especially OT-focused ones...

Great rewording, JT. That is everything I wanted from my question. I'll somewhat agree that they have tried new formats
but the Falcon, as awesome as it is and with the best detailing yet on a vehicle, is still just another vehicle (and the Ep 1 Queen's ship was just as big - if I remember correctly).
I really don't think the new environment pieces are that different from old playsets like the vintage Dagobah set.
but the Falcon, as awesome as it is, is still just another vehicle (and the Ep 1 Queen's ship was just as big - if I remember correctly), but with the best detailing yet.

When I was thinking of Dioramas, and I don't have the Q&A questions to back this up, I was thinking of the Cantina (or even a one-table alcove... I think we've asked for smaller modular sets [like the DS modularpieces we've asked for before] where we could put the rooms together to build one side of the Cantina) but Hasbro has said no. Knowing collectors' and Hasbro's love of Cantina aliens, a Cantina (and a DS) playset/diorama seems like a no brainer, even though the Cantina isn't very action oriented.

As far as accessories, how many years has it been since the original straight pieces of the bar came out and we still have no center piece. Jabba's dais is a perfect example for a larger accessory that we've asked from Hasbro for years, but still no resculpt. There obviously are a lot of counter examples, like the Cantina bar sets, but I've posted several times about my dissappointment in the execution of that set (straight & curved pieces don't match in paint or sculpt, barstools aren't scene accurate, curved pieces are too tight for a center piece to ever fit correctly, etc). There was also the display that came with Reiken, the stalagmite that came with the Wampa, the drum halves with Ak-Rev & Umpass-Stay, etc, but Hasbro could be giving us more. Then we see pieces like Ben's table and the cantina tables (not accurate again, as it was missing the light in the center of it) that were supposed to come out with the 2009 ANH wave, but Hasbro nixed it due to profitability, even though prices increased by $1.00... (or was that just Target's doing?). as far as the Yavin set, I meant the upcoming set, the old set would have been cool at the time, but this was is just awesome, even when missing the ladders and other extras.

obi-dad

09-05-2008, 02:32 PM

For now, 13 & 20.

Add 21-23 to that list and my new one about what new ideas does Hasbro have for OT collectors (if added).

JediTricks

09-05-2008, 08:43 PM

Question 24 added.

BTW, I got out my Cruisemissile Trooper the other day and I am tempted to re-add that question to the poll despite its lack of support. Anybody yea or nay on that?

They can use the same mold as before, the EU cloud car mold, shouldnt be much different. It might be a place to get it as an exclusive and coupling it with older figures will help the alleviate the cot to Hasbro. Lets just plant the seed to them and see where it goes. They didnt hate the suggestion we made for the Dagobah playset UPB, they actually liked it.The POTF2 carrotmobile is NOTHING (http://www.rebelscum.com/photo.asp?image=/potf2/POTF2EUcloudcarlt.jpg) like the movie Cloud Car (here's a good example shot with Celeryman looking all weird behind the canopy: http://www.rebelscum.com/photo.asp?image=/potf2/POTF2EUcloudcarfly.jpg ). And they don't have the vintage Cloud Car tooling, that's part of the problem.

The Dagobah answer wasn't as rosy as you seem to remember, they killed it except for maybe Yoda's hut, SSG, Dec 21st:
Q: With collectors clamoring for playsets the last few years and Hasbro's take being that there's no market for them at this time, might the Ultra Battlepack concept be used to get us a little closer to playsets by including larger environment elements instead of vehicles? We could have Dagobah with Yoda's hut and the tree (where Luke battles his demons); and a Death Star with trash compactor, corridors & doors, and cellblock. So, might the Ultra Battlepack line be purposed for this need?
A: We certainly look a the Ultimate Battle Pack concept as a way to deliver more play features but at the same time not weigh down a product with a massive tooling burden. As has been well-documented, playsets are backbreakers from a tooling and product costing perspective, and their return on investment is still not justified relative to the higher level of interest in figures and vehicles. That's why there were new elements to these sets, but they were not the sole focus of the sets themselves. By using a considerable amount of existing items, we were able to justify some tooling expense, which we spent on the turret and the logs. Surprisingly, the turret did not take up that many tools and was very efficient from that standpoint compared to some of the other suggestions which are more intensive from a tooling and piece price standpoint. The exception might be Yoda's hut, which is a pretty good suggestion and one we should look into. So the sucess of the UBPs (and they have been very successful) does not mean a change of format to more playset-dominated sets, but it does open the door to opportunities that have a similar type of format - i.e. some newness mixed with a good dose of existing to keep our costs down.

Great rewording, JT. That is everything I wanted from my question. I'll somewhat agree that they have tried new formats

but the Falcon, as awesome as it is and with the best detailing yet on a vehicle, is still just another vehicle (and the Ep 1 Queen's ship was just as big - if I remember correctly).
I really don't think the new environment pieces are that different from old playsets like the vintage Dagobah set.

but the Falcon, as awesome as it is, is still just another vehicle (and the Ep 1 Queen's ship was just as big - if I remember correctly), but with the best detailing yet.

When I was thinking of Dioramas, and I don't have the Q&A questions to back this up, I was thinking of the Cantina (or even a one-table alcove... I think we've asked for smaller modular sets [like the DS modularpieces we've asked for before] where we could put the rooms together to build one side of the Cantina) but Hasbro has said no. Knowing collectors' and Hasbro's love of Cantina aliens, a Cantina (and a DS) playset/diorama seems like a no brainer, even though the Cantina isn't very action oriented.

As far as accessories, how many years has it been since the original straight pieces of the bar came out and we still have no center piece. Jabba's dais is a perfect example for a larger accessory that we've asked from Hasbro for years, but still no resculpt. There obviously are a lot of counter examples, like the Cantina bar sets, but I've posted several times about my dissappointment in the execution of that set (straight & curved pieces don't match in paint or sculpt, barstools aren't scene accurate, curved pieces are too tight for a center piece to ever fit correctly, etc). There was also the display that came with Reiken, the stalagmite that came with the Wampa, the drum halves with Ak-Rev & Umpass-Stay, etc, but Hasbro could be giving us more. Then we see pieces like Ben's table and the cantina tables (not accurate again, as it was missing the light in the center of it) that were supposed to come out with the 2009 ANH wave, but Hasbro nixed it due to profitability, even though prices increased by $1.00... (or was that just Target's doing?). as far as the Yavin set, I meant the upcoming set, the old set would have been cool at the time, but this was is just awesome, even when missing the ladders and other extras.The issue on playsets/dioramas is about tooling, it's a larger expense because it's larger tooling, will the cantina diorama sell enough to ensure a profit return on the expensive tooling, and Hasbro's answer on that is very clear, they feel it won't and is far too risky to try. They know we want it, some of them even want it, but it doesn't fit the business model - and it's that quality of management which has kept the line doing well the past few years after it started to struggle from '99 to about 2003/4. They've looked at modular, doesn't work from a market perspective, kids and parents and causal collectors who keep the line going just don't seem to be down with it, and tooling goes up because each new section requires its own mold. But I will put the "Cantina" part into the question as we've asked about it enough to get the idea across.

Also, the tables in the ANH '09 wave weren't nixed because they themselves were too expensive, but because the wave's budget was exhausted by having a fat wave of 8 new figures (I'm counting the 2 new build-a-droids domes since Han & Luke aren't really new), 2 of which were multipacks (including a Dice Ibegon figure). Personally, I would have taken the tables over Wioslea any day of the week, especially the Ben one, but the Wioslea fans would have missed their thing. It's a crazy juggling act, and frustrating since it means the tables' tooling was created to some degree and it's probably just too expensive to run, but could be used down the line. Hasbro's costs went up so they had to charge more for the product, they always say the retailers can charge whatever they want but when they raise the wholesale price, it's no surprise that retailers raise the retail price.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, I'v addedd the Yavin thing and put it up. I'm still feeling like something could be more punchy, but it's good as it is - if you have an idea to make it better, by all means, LMK! Vote counted.

Q. Just when we thought we had seen every variety of Clone Trooper under the sun, something new comes along. Witness the theatrical release of THE CLONE WARS this past weekend, and we saw a couple of new incarnations for the clones of Jango Fett. The most notable new versions being the Clone Scouts from Teth, and the Clone Bridge Officers from the Republic Star Destroyer. Are these clones on the radar screen? And are they more likely in the animated style or a movie realistic rendition?

A. There is a good chance that we will see one or both of these clones within the next year or two, especially if they appear in multiple episodes. As with all of the figures seen on-screen in Clone Wars, they will be released in animated styling. We have no designs on bringing the animated figures into the "realistic" line or vice-versa.

#19 was answered here (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=192.msg3678#msg3678), but only for the 3 3/4" line:

2. Hasbro, is there a chance that we will be seeing that single pilot imperial shuttle looking troop transport from the new clone wars movie? I would love to add that ship to my collection and it would not be too hard to reproduce to actual 3 3/4 figure scale.

That is actually a *huge* vehicle. Right now we have no plans to do that one, since some other more overtly "aggressive" and less shuttle-like vehicles are in our sites. If it continues to remain prevalent in the entertainment, and sees more action than just shuttling troops, then at some point we will consider it again.

A question similar to #23 was asked here (http://www.cooltoyreview.com/story/front/Hasbros_INDIANA_JONES_QA_The_Answers_117480.asp), but they didn't ask Hasbro how they got their information:

I'm not a Mutt hater, but there is NO WAY that your estimates of how popular Mutt is with kids is correct. No way. He is everywhere, and last time I checked, the movie was about Indiana Jones, not Mutt Williams. A ton of Indys on the pegs, sure. Makes perfect sense. Mutt? Not so much. So, drop any and all Mutts from ALL FUTURE CASE ASSORTMENTS, and replace them with The Last Crusade and, when the time comes, Temple of Doom figures.

Hasbro: Mutt is the second-best selling figure next to Indy, right in line with our expectations. The version with jacket is a significantly better seller than the one without, though. We did that version based on the belief that Mutt had scenes without his jacket, which turned out to be incorrect.

bigbarada

09-06-2008, 02:50 PM

A question similar to #23 was asked here (http://www.cooltoyreview.com/story/front/Hasbros_INDIANA_JONES_QA_The_Answers_117480.asp), but they didn't ask Hasbro how they got their information:

I'm not a Mutt hater, but there is NO WAY that your estimates of how popular Mutt is with kids is correct. No way. He is everywhere, and last time I checked, the movie was about Indiana Jones, not Mutt Williams. A ton of Indys on the pegs, sure. Makes perfect sense. Mutt? Not so much. So, drop any and all Mutts from ALL FUTURE CASE ASSORTMENTS, and replace them with The Last Crusade and, when the time comes, Temple of Doom figures.

Hasbro: Mutt is the second-best selling figure next to Indy, right in line with our expectations. The version with jacket is a significantly better seller than the one without, though. We did that version based on the belief that Mutt had scenes without his jacket, which turned out to be incorrect.

Wow, that wasn't really worded like a question at all. More like a "you're wrong and we're right, so fix it!" kind of demand. Fortunately, not all sites allow questions as idiotically worded as that one or Hasbro would have abandoned the Q&A a long time ago.

In my area, there are definitely more kid collectors of every toy line here. In fact, whenever I go to the toy aisle during the day there are usually kids rifling through the Star Wars and Transformers figures. It's only when I go at nighttime that I don't see any kids.

With that being said, Mutt Williams figures just aren't that plentiful here, but Indy figures definitely are. So, I think there is something to Hasbro's claim that Mutt is the most popular figure with kids. In fact, I've seen teenagers (mostly girls), in the toy aisle going through the Indy figures specifically looking for the "Shia LaBeouf action figure.":rolleyes:

You have to remember that most of us can only report sales trends of a specific region, but Hasbro has access to nationwide and worldwide sales figures. So, if Hasbro says that Mutt is the best selling figure in the Indy line, I don't see any reason to believe that Hasbro is being deliberately deceitful. If the figure is not selling, then what possible motive would Hasbro have to pretend that it is and continue to lose money on the figure?

El Chuxter

09-06-2008, 10:55 PM

This may be a bit too character-specific, but I'll submit it anyway:

Many collectors have long wanted a C-3PX figure, which could easily be produced from minor alterations to a C-3PO sculpt with added weapons. The recent build-a-droid you're calling C-3PX ranks as one of the most inaccurate and lacking figures in the history of the modern line. The lack of many of his signature weapons, the poorly-executed pop-out blasters, and the total lack of paint detail ruin a figure who should've been one of the easiest to accurately "kitbash" from existing parts. Though it may seem a bit early to ask, since you've more or less admitted you know who he is and are willing to make him, can we expect a more accurate C-3PX in the future, complete with rifles and jetpack, possibly in an EU comic pack (especially as his first appearance stands alone quite well without the context of the entire Droids miniseries)?

Cane_Adiss

09-07-2008, 11:27 AM

I definitely think you should re-add the Cruisemissile question JT. Thanks a bunch for the reconsider! I know I wasn't the only one to ever vote for that question, so maybe it will get more support in future rounds. I think an update (with a non-dedicated pilot) would make a great Imperial themed battle pack addition, as it seems Hasbro is more willing to cram bigger things into the battle packs lately. Or if they were to literally expand and improve the design, it could make a great stand alone vehicle.

Great to see that 2 of my questions (the one about how figures are chosen for waves, and the Aurra Sing one) were asked this round. I was afraid you axed those two from the list JT. I wasn't aware they were getting the votes they must've been. My apologies for the overreaction before.

JediTricks

09-08-2008, 04:15 AM

Question 25 added
(question 25 is mine, trying to convince them to run product that's canceled at retail or at least get a solid explanation why not.)

Questions 4, 19 stricken
If you voted for #4 or 19, consider yourself refunded 1 vote each.
#4 was answered (negatively).
#19 was answered only partly (and also a negative), but the other part doesn't stand on its own well enough.

Question 23 modified
I'm going to leave the Mutt Williams question up despite a portion of it being answered already because the underlying issue is how they come to the belief that it's a hot ticket item, this would shed light on SW as well.

This may be a bit too character-specific, but I'll submit it anyway:

Many collectors have long wanted a C-3PX figure, which could easily be produced from minor alterations to a C-3PO sculpt with added weapons. The recent build-a-droid you're calling C-3PX ranks as one of the most inaccurate and lacking figures in the history of the modern line. The lack of many of his signature weapons, the poorly-executed pop-out blasters, and the total lack of paint detail ruin a figure who should've been one of the easiest to accurately "kitbash" from existing parts. Though it may seem a bit early to ask, since you've more or less admitted you know who he is and are willing to make him, can we expect a more accurate C-3PX in the future, complete with rifles and jetpack, possibly in an EU comic pack (especially as his first appearance stands alone quite well without the context of the entire Droids miniseries)?Jeez, you wanna take their lunch money too? I actually worked the question over halfway, but ultimately your complaints are too vitriolic and not supporting themselves well enough. Lack of painted detail? What about the eyes and mid-torso? Poorly-executed pop-out blasters? Seems to come from a specific comic panel: http://www.oafe.net/yo/sweudc3px.php . Kitbash from existing C-3PO figs? None are articulated enough and can hold accessories and come apart. Most inaccurate? Seems to have passed the Lucasfilm gauntlet. And yet, there IS plenty to complain about - the head is fat, the shoulders all wrong, the elbows poorly-realized, there could be weathering and more paint, but is there really a whole question there? I'm not seeing it. And ultimately, we know they're not gonna do another C-3PX. But rework the question and I'll reconsider it.

Great to see that 2 of my questions (the one about how figures are chosen for waves, and the Aurra Sing one) were asked this round. I was afraid you axed those two from the list JT. I wasn't aware they were getting the votes they must've been. My apologies for the overreaction before.There ya go then. Like I said before, I do post a list of the questions I send in the day I send them in, so please check that in the future first.

sebillba

09-08-2008, 07:23 AM

I should have one question left, so #25 please.

Bib Un-Fortuna

09-08-2008, 09:49 AM

9 17 21 22 24

Thanks!

Ando

09-08-2008, 09:49 AM

Please replace my vote for #19 with #15.

Neuroleptic

09-08-2008, 10:52 AM

21 because while I doubt they'd do it, I think it'd be awsome to see figures with even more articulation than they currently have. 23 because it probably has a lot to do with star wars too in my mind, and 25 out of curiosity

JediTricks

09-08-2008, 06:24 PM

I should have one question left, so #25 please.You actually had 2 votes left, as you voted initially for:
3, 5, 6, and 23.

If you guys want to see how you voted in the threads, on the TLC forum page, click the number of posts in this thread, that will pop up a new window with the number of posts everybody's made in this thread, and from there click the number next to YOUR name and it will open a search window with your posts from this thread.

21 because while I doubt they'd do it, I think it'd be awsome to see figures with even more articulation than they currently have. 23 because it probably has a lot to do with star wars too in my mind, and 25 out of curiosityI doubt they'll do it too, but it wouldn't be that difficult, just notch out the back of the joint slightly more than it already is and that alone will give more range. Shrinking the joint should also help a little. Putting the joint on a slider peg would work too, but nobody has ever actually done this that I know of, it's an idea I've been kicking around for years.

Thanks for voting gang, keep up the good work!

evenflow

09-08-2008, 07:11 PM

13 20 23 24 25

Mr. JabbaJohnL

09-08-2008, 07:22 PM

Replace my #19 vote with one for #25.

jediguy

09-09-2008, 07:27 AM

Question 5 to replace my refunded vote please

thank you

DarkJedi5

09-10-2008, 09:42 AM

As an update to question 21, I noticed that hasbro is doind double jointed knees (and I think elbows) on their marvel 3 3/4 line coming out later this year. I don't know if the question writer would be willing to modify the question, but we know they can do it at this scale, the question is will they do it for Star Wars.

Also, a new question; Would Hasbro ever consider releasing a new ROTJ Y-Wing pilot and package him with an A-Wing pilot's helmet (like the one coming with the new A-Wing pilot in the new WM A-Wing) so that last year's Tycho figure could have the right helmet. He's a great fig and a major player in tnhe EU and he should be corrected.

bigbarada

09-10-2008, 12:33 PM

As an update to question 21, I noticed that hasbro is doind double jointed knees (and I think elbows) on their marvel 3 3/4 line coming out later this year. I don't know if the question writer would be willing to modify the question, but we know they can do it at this scale, the question is will they do it for Star Wars..

I actually like the Star Wars knee joints better than the GI Joe ones. The double-joints have a great range of motion, but seem to be less stable overall. I also don't like that you can't rotate the GI Joe knees like you can with the ball-joint Star Wars knees.

DarkJedi5

09-10-2008, 06:04 PM

I actually like the Star Wars knee joints better than the GI Joe ones. The double-joints have a great range of motion, but seem to be less stable overall. I also don't like that you can't rotate the GI Joe knees like you can with the ball-joint Star Wars knees.

BigB, I haven't held a GI Joe in years and so I'm not really familiar with the joints, I was going off of the 6" Marvel Legends figs which had the double joint and I believe they could swivel their knee joints. Those figures have great articulation and even Spider-Man's most difficult poses. I'm sure it would be difficult to scale this down to a 3 3/4" line but I'd like to see them try with agile characters like dancers and jedi.

bigbarada

09-10-2008, 06:08 PM

BigB, I haven't held a GI Joe in years and so I'm not really familiar with the joints, I was going off of the 6" Marvel Legends figs which had the double joint and I believe they could swivel their knee joints. Those figures have great articulation and even Spider-Man's most difficult poses. I'm sure it would be difficult to scale this down to a 3 3/4" line but I'd like to see them try with agile characters like dancers and jedi.

Well, the GI Joe figures already have it at the 3 3/4" scale. The only problem is their knee joints don't swivel, so they lose a large amount of poseability compared to the Star Wars ball-joint knees. Although a mid-thigh swivel would solve the problem.

Uki

09-10-2008, 10:04 PM

15
17
9
25
23
21

JediTricks

09-11-2008, 08:14 PM

Only a few more hours to vote in this round! It's a really close round at this point, so any vote could tip it in 1 direction or another.

As an update to question 21, I noticed that hasbro is doind double jointed knees (and I think elbows) on their marvel 3 3/4 line coming out later this year. I don't know if the question writer would be willing to modify the question, but we know they can do it at this scale, the question is will they do it for Star Wars.Right now, I'm going to hold off on that suggestion, bigb makes a good point about those joints not having swivels above them.

Also, a new question; Would Hasbro ever consider releasing a new ROTJ Y-Wing pilot and package him with an A-Wing pilot's helmet (like the one coming with the new A-Wing pilot in the new WM A-Wing) so that last year's Tycho figure could have the right helmet. He's a great fig and a major player in tnhe EU and he should be corrected.I'm a little confused by this one, could you say it a different way? Why would a Y-wing pilot with an A-wing helmet be a Tycho figure? Is this merely a way to get them to release the new A-wing helmet in a basic figure so they can swap?

BigB, I haven't held a GI Joe in years and so I'm not really familiar with the joints, I was going off of the 6" Marvel Legends figs which had the double joint and I believe they could swivel their knee joints. Those figures have great articulation and even Spider-Man's most difficult poses. I'm sure it would be difficult to scale this down to a 3 3/4" line but I'd like to see them try with agile characters like dancers and jedi.Those swivel at the upper thigh actually, the joint design is a pure hinge and doesn't allow for a swivel at the lower thigh. They could technically do this, but the joint would get even bigger and it's already a little oversized.

Well, the GI Joe figures already have it at the 3 3/4" scale. The only problem is their knee joints don't swivel, so they lose a large amount of poseability compared to the Star Wars ball-joint knees. Although a mid-thigh swivel would solve the problem.Or they could just cut a little deeper into the back of the current ball-hinge we currently have on SW and save the money and trouble. :p

I'm a little confused by this one, could you say it a different way? Why would a Y-wing pilot with an A-wing helmet be a Tycho figure? Is this merely a way to get them to release the new A-wing helmet in a basic figure so they can swap?

Yeah, that's basically what I'm getting at. Our new Tycho fig came with the wrong helmet, if they produce a Y-Wing pilot and pack him with an A-wing helmet, kids wouldn't know the difference and collectors could give their Tycho fig the right helmet.

Neuroleptic

09-11-2008, 09:29 PM

Yeah, that's basically what I'm getting at. Our new Tycho fig came with the wrong helmet, if they produce a Y-Wing pilot and pack him with an A-wing helmet, kids wouldn't know the difference and collectors could give their Tycho fig the right helmet.

That's such a cheap trick!

I LIKE IT! :thumbsup:

JediTricks

09-11-2008, 09:31 PM

I don't think I can justify it unless it has some support somewhere. They did give Tycho 2 helmets, so if you can find me an example of a Y-wing costume in that helmet, I'll throw it out there, but without that it's just compounding the problem for collectors who didn't get Tycho, now they'll need the Y-wing helmet.

Neuroleptic

09-11-2008, 09:43 PM

I know this is a bit off topic . . . but I gotta ask. Just what IS that second helmet that Tycho comes with? The first is obviously a Y-wing helmet. But the second?

JediTricks

09-11-2008, 11:39 PM

It's an under-sock.

bigbarada

09-12-2008, 12:37 AM

3
9
12
21
23
25

JediTricks

09-12-2008, 03:39 AM

Alright, that's it for this round. Thanks to everybody for voting!

Here's the questions we're asking this round:

Understanding that schedules are subject to change on these sorts of things, could Hasbro give us an idea of how many waves and figures are scheduled for the '09 line, and roughly how many figures are from each source?
Will we be getting any Battle Droid variants in the Clone Wars line, like Commander, Security, Pilot, etc.? Would it matter if the design didn't show up right away in the cartoon? After all, we know what the markings of a Commander droid look like already. And what about a Clone Wars Battle Droid figure that can hold its rifle 2-handed?
On August 1st, we got a few answers that didn't seem quite complete, and are sacrificing one of our precious question slots to get clarifications for these 3 little bits & pieces that we previously asked about: what points of articulation are on the upcoming A New Hope Obi-Wan Kenobi; will the Titanium Series Cylon Heavy Raider that Hasbro previously announced be released before the license expires; and when you said to us that the Tonnikas were the only figures that you couldn't touch, but told another site that the Holiday Special was something you "couldn't approach", did that mean the Tonnikas answer was incomplete or are we misunderstanding what you mean on the Holiday Special? Thanks!
With the Indy line, when Hasbro says that that Mutt Williams in jacket is very popular with the kids, how is that determined, is that based on what retailers order? Because both basic Mutt Williams figures seem to be the by far the most over-abundant figures left on the Indy pegs usually, sometimes in the dozens. While empirical and anecdotal evidence is not fully scientific, when consistent enough it does paint a very particular picture to collectors, in this case that Mutt Williams is a major pegwarmer doing his best to choke the line to death, even with his snazzy jacket. Obviously there is disparity between Hasbro's take and collectors' take on this, and if collectors are right, then Hasbro's focus on Mutt would bury the line up to its neck in quicksand, so any thoughts where that disparity comes from?
Might Hasbro look into extending the range of motion on the ball-hinged elbows and knees? The current range is only around 90 degrees, while in the movies the elbows are often seen very closed holding weapons close to the chest or face, so the joint often should go around 135-150 degrees to represent that. With the inclusion of ball-hinged wrists and ankles, and now even hips on a few nifty Jedi, the amount of expression that these figures can produce is bordering on truly realistic, so isn't it time that the elbows and knees go there too?
With the '09 Indiana Jones figures, you say that their future is the hands of how the line does over the upcoming holiday season. Assuming that the '09 line does not make it to retail, what would become of those figures, would they become exclusives perhaps through HasbroToyShop, or not produced at all? That has come up with canceled Star Wars items too, where the question is the same: if those molds were not to be run at all, how would not running the molds make a return on the investments of whatever finished but unused tooling exists? Wouldn't making part of its money back on a smaller run of product be more help defray those already-spent tooling costs better than ensuring no possible return on the toolings' costs?
Also, in the August 1st answers round, our question about the Millennium Falcon was met with the response "sorry, out designer is not here to answer your question this week. We will have to follow-up with this answer." We are hoping to get that answer this round. For reference, here's the question again: "Many folks feel the big Millennium Falcon to be a true masterpiece in Star Wars toys, but speaking with the designer at Comic-Con, one of the things learned was that the original design for the toy was even bigger than what we got before budgetary realities found its current size. Were there arguments about what features could be packed into the final version? Did Lucasfilm have any specific requests of ideas to do or not to do? What features were on the bubble and barely made the cut? What features (beyond voice recordings, as we know Leia and Lando didn't make the final results there, along with about 40 more minutes of "vital" Falcon dialogue that was originally considered), if any, didn't make the final cut?"